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Erdogan seems unhappy with system he created in his image

It's unclear whether Turkey's government respects the rule of law, even though the administration has redesigned many of the laws to suit itself.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses members of parliament from his ruling AKP during a meeting at the Turkish parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 9, 2018. — REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Justice is a word frequently used in Islamist parties’ names. In Turkey, it's also part of the ruling party's name: the Justice and Development Party (AKP). The promising and iconic name helped the party capitalize on Turks' two deepest concerns in the early 2000s. Yet, even though his party has been in power for 17 years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s quest for "justice" hasn't stopped. For example, Erdogan regularly complains about how his children faced difficulties because they attended religion-based schools, which have a lower college acceptance rate than other schools.

As his grip on power tightened, Erdogan’s rhetoric demanding justice grew and became bitter.

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